What are Rates for?Mā ngā tāke e aha?

Rates are your investment in the infrastructure and services enjoyed in the Wairoa District.

In order to provide funding for the services of Wairoa District Council, a charge is levied over all properties in the Wairoa District. The charge per rating unit is based on the area and use of the land.

General Rates

Wairoa District Council uses general rates to fund activities where all, or part of the cost of an activity, is to be funded by the community as a whole. General rates are used when it is considered that there is little benefit from, or too much cost involved in, funding activities separately from other activities.

General rates are levied on the land value of property and charged differently on different categories of land depending on the land use and the location of the property.

The General Rate funds the airport and the camping ground in Wairoa, along with a proportion of district planning and environmental health.

Uniform Annual General Charges

A Uniform Annual General Charge (UAGC) is levied on each Separately Used or Inhabited Part of a Property irrespective of how land is used or where property is located. Properties can be charged more than one UAGC if parts of the property are used separately. The UAGC is used to charge rates for activities considered to benefit the community equally or when it is more beneficial to fund activities generally rather than specifically.

In Wairoa some activities are part funded by a UAGC and the use of a targeted rate.

The Uniform Annual General Charge is used to fund these activities:

Management of Council owned property

Administration & Democratic Services

Maori Relationships

The Operation of the Visitor Information Centre (iSite)

Economic Development

Maintenance of the Wairoa Community Centre building

AFFCO (water supply)

Community Support

The Wairoa Public Library

Targeted rates

Targeted rates are used to fund activities where all or part of the cost of an activity is best met by particular groups (ratepayers), or there is some other advantage in funding the activity outside of the general rate. Targeted rates are often used to fund activities that are easily differentiated or activities where the benefit is provided to, or used by, a specific group of ratepayers. Some targeted rates are charged differently for different categories of land and some targeted rates differ based on where the property is located.

Targeted rates are used to fund the provision of specific activities, these include:

Targeted Rate – Services, based on the Capital Value of property.

Building Inspection costs (part funded, part fees and charges)

Bylaw Enforcement

Cemetery maintenance

District Planning

Economic Development

Forestry

Liquor Licensing

Public car parking

Environmental Heath monitoring

The Operation of the Visitor Information Centre (iSite)

Targeted Rate – Recreation, based on the Capital Value of property.

Parks

Reserves

Playgrounds

Public toilets

Maintenance of the Wairoa Central Business District

Targeted Rate – Roading, based on the Land Value of a property

Road resurfacing and maintenance

Bridge maintenance

Traffic management

Footpath maintenance

Targeted Rate – Waste Management, based on a unit rate per Separately Used or Inhabited Part of a Property.

Income received from user charges at the Wairoa landfill contributes to covering these costs with the remainder sourced from the targeted rate. Please note that the waste management targeted rate does not cover any costs associated with refuse collection services which are provided on a user pays basis.

Unit targeted rates are also used to fund water supply, drainage and sewerage disposal.

Targeted Rate - Mahia and Opoutama Beach Community Sewerage Schemes.

Unit targeted rates are levied for the capital repayment of costs associated with the introduction of the Mahia and Opoutama Beach Community Sewerage Scheme. This is a variable targeted rate calculated on the capital cost to each property subject to the scheme.

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